Mom Of Injured 3-year-old Pleads Guilty, Avoids Jail

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DELAND - A California woman accused of forcing social-service officials to care for her child because she did not want to has pleaded guilty to the accusations and will not spend time in prison.

Tricia Banning, 19, who initially was charged with child neglect, pleaded to the charge of ``allowing a child to become dependent.'' Banning was sentenced Thursday to the 14 days she already had spent in jail.

Banning testified this week against her former boyfriend, Robert Jimenez, who was convicted of aggravated child abuse.

On Aug. 5, 1998, Jimenez had dropped 3-year-old Devin Banning to the floor in a wrestling maneuver called a ``pile driver.'' The child suffered internal head injuries and swelling to her face.